Reconnected....and it Feels so Good!!!

What a week!! 

I had no computer for about 5 days and I felt so disconnected!  I couldn't apply for jobs, I couldn't properly check all my emails, and (gasp!) I couldn't watch Netflix or Hulu online!!! It was tough.  Most days are already boring but that added a whole new level to my boredom!!!

Anyway, thanks once again to my parents, I was able to use the last of the juice on my laptop to order a new charger and it arrived yesterday.  I started going through my emails and applied to a few jobs and caught up on Glee and The Daily Show (it's the little things that make me happy!!).

I had a phone interview on Monday, and it went well.  I should know more by next week if they want to meet me in person.  I like the sound of the job and it will be an opportunity to get out of Financial Services recruitment and into IT ... this is something I really want.  I feel like not everyone is willing to give you that sort of chance.  You need to the same skill set, but for some reason it is difficult to be given a proper chance. Hopefully, this firm will!! I haven't had any other calls this week about work, I think because I didn't start applying until yesterday.  Three (work) days off without submitting resumes does make a difference...that is what I have discovered.  I just have to buckle down the rest of this week and get as many out as possible.

I am still struggling financially every single day. Every decision I make, I make VERY carefully when it comes to money.  It is getting harder and harder to make it from Unemployment Check to Check....I worry every day.  I haven't had any babysitting work for a few weeks, and so I have posted once again on Craigslist looking for something.  I realize I can't commit to being a Nanny so I am just looking for babysitting work.  These little jobs help me make it from week to week, so it is worth the little bit of extra effort to find them.

I've been able to get out a little in the last week.  Last Friday I attended the Give Water, Give Life Benefit given by my friend Jenna and the organization she works with Water 1st.  I got to go out with Nicole, which is rare these days so I had fun!  Last night was Spark!'s 2nd Annual Swap For Good benefiting Freedom House (a shelter for trafficked women here in SF).  I got some cool new clothes (more I think than I brought to swap!).  Tonight, I am going to another Spark! event with Nicole and Alex.  It is a Career Night for the young girls of Oasis (a life skills program for girls 14-17 years old).  I wish I could do more than just attend these things, like donate money etc. but for now, my attendance and support is all I can offer.

I have to be honest, it is becoming more and more difficult to be positive about how things are going these days.  I try really hard to be positive and cheery but mostly it is just a front because I don't want my family and friends to worry.  Then, something happens to make me realize just how lucky I am to STILL have a roof over my head, the ability to continue to look for work,  and the love of my family and good friends.  Last week a classmate from my high school in NJ lost her battle with Breast Cancer.  Her name was Stacy and she was 38 years old and the mother of 4 kids aged 4-10yrs.  She fought hard, and expressed her fears, love, struggles with all of us on Facebook...she was fearless and an inspiration to all who knew her.  I didn't know her well, but her honesty about her fight that she conveyed to us was unmatched. I so admired that about her.  Her friends and family have lost an amazing woman...but I hope they know just how much she touched us all.

I may not have all that I once had, but I have my health.  I have my family.  I have my friends.  And I have the ability to make a difference in the world around me and to bring awareness to all about the things that affect women and girls around the world and in my city. As I continue with the job search I am going to try and hold onto that little nugget and to think about it when those feelings of self pity start to rear their ugly head!!  I know, that somewhere in the world there is a job for me....and that all this stuff that I am going through will help me do that job better when I do get it!!

Heather